Product Engineer – Optical Fiber Manufacturing (Contract)

Job Title: Product Engineer – Optical Fiber Manufacturing (Contract) Location: East Granby, CT Type: Full-time (40 hours/week), Temporary/Contract (estimated 6 months; potential for extension based on business needs and performance) Job Description: Seeking a Contract Product Engineer to join our team in the East Granby, CT facility where we produce innovative optical fiber and optical fiber-based components for industrial, instrumentation, and communications markets. In this role, you will support fiber production lines by analyzing process data, assisting with experiments, and working closely with Operations to improve yield, quality, and throughput.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Process Support & Monitoring:
• Become familiar with optical fiber fabrication techniques used at Coherent, including Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition (MCVD), Over-collapse (OC), and Optical Fiber Draw, and apply this knowledge to daily engineering tasks.
• Work with cross-functional teams (Operations, R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance) to support production tasks and follow up on action items.
• Compile and analyze daily/weekly process metrics to help identify trends, deviations, and opportunities for improvement.
• Documentation, Standardization & Training Support
• Update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and process documentation under the guidance of senior engineers.
• Collaborate with Operations to implement new or revised procedures into production; support training activities by preparing materials and documentation.
• Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving
• Support senior engineers in identifying, quantifying, and documenting potential process improvements (e.g., yield, scrap, cycle time, cost).
• Participate in root cause investigations for process and product issues using standard problem-solving tools (5-Why, fishbone diagrams, etc.)
• Gain exposure to the New Product Introduction (NPI) process

Education and Work Experience:

Required Qualifications:

• Pursuing a B.S. and/or M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related engineering/scientific discipline.
• Internship, co-op, or project experience in a manufacturing, process engineering, or product engineering environment (including academic or lab-based projects).
• Fundamental understanding of data analytics, including knowledge of JMP or similar statistical software
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite
• Exposure to manufacturing processes in optics, glass, materials, photonics, semiconductors, or similar industries.
• Familiarity with basic Lean and/or Six Sigma concepts; coursework, training, or certifications are a plus.
• Experience writing technical reports, lab reports, or documentation that communicates methods, results, and conclusions clearly.

Desired Qualifications:

• Exposure to manufacturing processes in optics, glass, materials, photonics, semiconductors, or similar industries.
• Familiarity with basic Lean and/or Six Sigma concepts; coursework, training, or certifications are a plus.
• Experience writing technical reports, lab reports, or documentation that communicates methods, results, and conclusions clearly.

Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!

Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.